Detection of nano-scale and micro-scale particles, such as circulating tumor cells, bacteria and viruses, has immense clinical utility. Currently available methods include immunohistochemistry and nucleic acid-based detection, and cell proliferation is typically required before a sensitive detection can be carried out.
Molecular detection and quantitation are also important, and can be carried out with various methods depending on the type of the molecule. For instance, a nucleotide sequence can be detected by virtue of its sequence complementarity to a probe or primer, through hybridization and/or amplification, or in fewer occasions, with a protein that recognizes the sequence. A protein, on the other hand, is commonly detected with an antibody that specifically recognizes and binds the protein. An enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA), in this respect, is highly commercialized and commonly used.
Methods also exist for detecting or quantitating various other large or small molecules, such as carbohydrates, chemical compounds, ions, and elements.
Methods and systems for highly sensitive detection of molecules as well as particles, such as tumor cells and pathogenic organisms, have broad applications, in particular clinically, for pathogen detection and disease diagnosis, for instance. Additionally, such detection may: allow for the personalization of medical treatments and health programs; facilitate the search for effective pharmaceutical drug compounds and biotherapeutics; and enable clinicians to identify abnormal hormones, ions, proteins, or other molecules produced by a patient's body and/or identify the presence of poisons, illegal drugs, or other harmful chemicals ingested or injected into a patient.
Currently available techniques for the detection of molecules and particles are generally expensive, labor-intensive, skill-intensive, and/or time-intensive. A need exists for improved detection techniques, which produce accurate results quickly, cheaply, and easily.